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Choosing Tile

Why choose tile?

Our ceramic and porcelain tile collection consists of a wide variety of colours and
textures, with some representative of natural surfaces such as wood, stone and metal.
Porcelains are hard wearing and can be resistant to extreme weather conditions, fading,
scratches and heavy loads.

CHOOSE TILE FOR YOUR NEXT PROJECT

While the initial cost of other flooring options may be lower than tile, the lifecycle of
those products often does not compare. Products such as carpet and laminate cost more
over time due to greater maintenance demands and frequent replacements. Tile is not
only environmentally friendly, but it is also incredibly durable and easy to care for, making
it an obvious choice!

HYGIENIC & HYPOALLERGENIC: The surface of tile does not retain antigens or allergens. It
does not absorb fumes, odors or smoke. This environmentally friendly flooring option is
perfect for a hygienic household.

LIFE CYCLE COST FOR FLOOR FINISHES

View full document of Tile is the Natural Choice - Tile Council of North America (TCNA)

Care & Maintenance

Tile

SEALING

· Most porcelain and ceramic tile is
virtually impervious and does not need
to be sealed (some polished porcelains
need sealing due to pores being opened
during the polishing process).
· If you are unsure, sprinkle water on
the tile surface—if it beads and is not
absorbed in, it does not need to be
sealed.

ROUTINE CARE

· Sweep and vacuum regularly to prevent
dirt from grinding into the tile surface.
· Clean your floors weekly with a pH
neutral cleaner that is free of bleach,
ammonia or acid.
· Make sure mops are in good working
condition and that water is changed
frequently. Most maintenance problems
occur when dirty water is used.

RESTORATION & DEEP CLEANING

· In high traffic areas, deep cleaning is
suggested every 6-12 months (perhaps
more often in wet areas such as showers
where grease and soap build-up can
accumulate).
· More textured surfaces may require
use of a scrub brush for residential
installations or a scrub machine for
commercial installations.

Grout

SEALING

· Sealing grout is very important as it is
extremely porous.
· If you start noticing your grout joints
darkening when they are exposed to
water, it is time to reseal.

ROUTINE CARE

· Make sure that cleaners are pH neutral or
grout compatible.
· Always clean up dirt and spills promptly
to keep it from soaking into the grout.
· Using a grout compatible cleaner
regularly will reduce the need for deep
cleaning in the future.

RESTORATION & DEEP CLEANING

· In high traffic areas, deep cleaning is
suggested every 6-12 months (perhaps
more often in wet areas such as showers
where grease and soap build-up can
accumulate).
· Avoid using cleaners with acid, bleach or
ammonia.

Stone

SEALING

· Stone can be very porous and may be
susceptible to staining, making the
sealing process extremely important.
· Sealers do not make stone water or stain
proof, but instead increase its reaction
time to contaminants, allowing you to
clean up before the stone's surface is
penetrated.
· Sealing stone before and after grouting
is advisable since fine grout colour
particles can stain stones

ROUTINE CARE

· Sealing is the most important initial step
toward routine stone care.
· Spills should always be wiped up
immediately—particularly anything acidic
which can etch through the protective
sealant barrier.
· Regularly sweep to remove dirt and
debris that can damage the stone's
surface and clean with a pH-neutral
cleaner that does not contain acid,
bleach or ammonia.
· Towel drying will help prevent streaking,
especially on polished surfaces.

RESTORATION & DEEP CLEANING

· In high traffic areas, deep cleaning is
suggested every 6-12 months.
· Avoid using cleaners with acid, bleach or
ammonia, which will etch and discolour
the stone.
· Remember that stone wears naturally
over time, adding to its beauty.

Stone Sealers

PENETRATING

· Usually has no surface sheen
· Maintains natural colour of stone
· Penetrates stone to form a barrier just
below the surface, making it more
resistant to stains

ENHANCING

· Type of penetrating sealer
· Darkens and enriches the natural colours
of the stone, often significantly changing
its appearance
· Most enhancers must be buffed off
the surface after application to prevent
excess sealer from clotting and tracking
(enhancers cannot be removed and
should be used with caution.)

TOPICAL

· Adds a semi or high gloss finish,
enhancing the natural colours of the
stone
· Creates a surface coating to help repel
oil and water
· Becomes the "traffic" layer and is subject
to wear, therefore requiring regular
maintenance

Always read and follow manufacturer's instructions carefully. If you are not sure about a product, test it first on a small,
discreet area.

Technical Specification

Tile and stone terminology can be confusing at times. Below, we've described all the technical specification terms you might find on our website or product sheets to help you better understand our products.

Type of Tiles

To provide further explanation, Ames has created five classifications of tiles which can be sorted through our web product filter. Specifically:

Homogeneous/Full Body

Colour through body tiles; where the colour and pattern are created with the clays and run throughout the entire body of the tile. They may be polished or honed, unglazed or enhanced.

Through Body

Tiles that have the colour running throughout the body, but the pattern does not. The pattern is often created with silk screens or digital ink imprinting. This application may or may not include glazes.

Glazed Porcelain

Tiles where the colour and pattern are achieved with glazes and the body of the tile may or may not have a similar colour. In order to achieve porcelain status, the tile must have absorption of less than 0.5%

Double Pressed

Tiles where the clay is pressed twice, once to achieve the pattern and the second to create the back of the tile without the pattern.

Ceramic/Non Porcelain

Tiles where the colour and pattern are achieved with glazes and the body of the tile may or may not have a similar colour. Water absorption is greater than 0.5% and typically between 0.5% - 7%.

Type Finished

There are many types of tile finished, including:

Matte

Satin

Textured

Gloss

Honed

Semi-polished

Polished

Edge of Tile

Basically, tiles have one of two possible edges:

Rectified - Rectified tiles are ceramic or porcelain tiles that have been precisely ground and machined to give them near-perfect straight edges and exact dimensions. The most sought after feature of rectified tile is that the uniform size allows for tile to be installed with narrow grout joints.

Non-rectified – Non-rectified tiles vary slightly in size from each production run. There is no extra step to ensure precision amongst size as there is for rectified tile. Due to the size variations, wider grout joints are needed to align the tile during installation.

FROST RESISTANCE

Suitability of tile to be used outside

Frost resistance does not equate to being frost proof! Tile suitable for exterior applications must have a very low water absorption rate of less than 0.5%, especially in climates subject to freezing and thawing cycles. Please inquire further if you're working on a project in a climate with extreme winter conditions.

IDEAL EXTERIOR PRODUCTS
Porcelain with less than 0.5% water absorption, glass, and some stone

SHADE VARIATION

Range of colour and shading within one tile series

V1 - UNIFORM APPEARANCE Differences from tile to tile are minimal

V2 - SLIGHT VARIATION From tile to tile there are clearly distinguishable differences in texture and/or pattern with similar colours.

V3 - MODERATE VARIATION Amount and intensity of colour on each piece may vary significantly from tile to tile.

V4 - SUBSTANTIAL VARIATION Variations so random that one tile may have colour totally different from another in the same series.

PEI (PORCELAIN ENAMEL INSTITUTE

Wear resistance of glazed surfaces

The Porcelain Enamel Institute of America (founded 1930) developed a testing method to determine the wear resistance of glazed surfaces. This test is only for glazed tiles and does not apply to unglazed porcelain tile or other unglazed types of tile.

PEI Class 0No foot traffic

Wall use only

PEI Class 1Very light traffic

Bare or stocking foot traffic

PEI Class 2Light traffic

Slipper or soft-soled shoes: second level bathrooms and bedrooms

PEI Class 3Light to moderate traffic

Any residential area, with the exception of some entrances and kitchens if traffic is heavy

Static coefficient of friction is used to describe the amount of force required to cause an object (shoe sole material) to start moving across a surface (flooring material). The higher the COF number, the more non-slip the tile, but the harder it may be to clean and maintain.

North American Standards (ASTM C1028)

European (ISO) Standards

<0.50 dry

Questionable

0.50-0.60 dry

R9

Level surfaces (based on conditions)

=0.60 wet or dry

R9-R12

All public areas including step treads and ramp surfaces

0.80 wet or dry

R12

Ramp surfaces (as recommended by the American Disability Association

MOHS HARDNESS SCALE

Mineral hardness scale

Mohs' scale of mineral hardness characterizes the scratch resistance of various minerals through the ability of a harder material to scratch a softer material. The higher the MOHS rating of a tile, the more resistant it is to wear and scratching.

Mineral

Example

MOHS

Materials

Talc

Fingernail scratches it easily

1

Inexpensive sheet vinyl

Gypsum

Fingernail scratches it

2

Wood flooring

Calcite

Copper penny scratches it

3

Laminate flooring

Fluorite

Steel knife scratches it easily

4

Black marble

Apatite

Steel knife scratches it

5

Glazed ceramic WALL tile

Feldspar

Steel knife does not scratch it easily, but scratches glass

6

Glazed ceramic FLOOR tile

Quartz

Hardest common mineral, scratches steel and glass easily

7

Glazed ceramic FLOOR tile

Topaz

Harder than any common mineral

8

Unglazed porcelain

Corundum

Scratches topaz

9

Unglazed porcelain

Diamond

Hardest of all minerals

10

No flooring this hard yet!

MR (MOISTURE RATING)

Density of tile determined by water absorption rate

Tile suitable for exterior applications must have a very low water absorption rate, especially in climates subject to freezing and thawing cycles. The rate of water absorption should be less than 3%, but for best results an absorption rate of less than 0.5% is ideal.

Lunch & Learn

Looking to learn more?

Looking to learn more?
Our TTMAC or CCTS Certified Ames Consultants can work with you to design a Lunch
& Learn that's right for your team. Whether you have project specific questions or are
simply interested in how the industry is trending, we have the answers and are eager to
share them with you.

Here are just a few of the topics we cover:
· Tile 101(1 core credit to CEU program for IDCEC, AIBC, AAA, MAA, and SAA)
· Stone 101(1 core credit to CEU program for AIBC, AAA, MAA, and SAA)
· Tile & Stone Project Specification course (1 core learning credit for IDCEC, IDIBC
and AIBC)
· Upcoming trends and the latest in what Ames has to offer
· Tile & stone installation, accessories and maintenance
· Underfloor heating, edging profiles and shower systems